Nonclogging baseball-shoe spike



July .3, 1928. A 1,675,885

' R. E. FRENCH NONCLOGGING BASEBALL SHOE SPIKE Filed Feb. 1, 1927 .rzvmvm @www E-F/FENZTH I/WTNEJJ QM Patented July 3, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NONGLOGGING BASEBALL-SHOE SPIKE.

Application filed February 1, 1927. Serial No. 165,130,

This invention relates to spikes applied to the heel and sole of shoes worn by baseball players. It is essential to good performance by a baseball player that the soles andheels of his shoes shall be provided with anti-skid devices and it has been customary to fasten such devices to the heel and sole of the shoe by rivets or other fasteners that hold to the heel and the sole respectively, frames from which bladelike calks extend about a half inch more or less, practically at right angles to the shoe sole or heel.

The construction of such devices heretofore in common use is such as to cause the spikes to retain accumulations of earth in case the ground over which the player runs is moistand sticky; and an object of this invention is to so construct the spike that the tendency to such accumulations will be minimized.

lVith the spikes heretofore known to me and commonly used by professional baseball players the sole of the players shoe is likely to become broken just behind the frame to which the spike blade or calk is fastened; and as such shoes are very expensive and a number of pairs of such shoes are ordinarily required by a professional player during the year, such breaking of the soles causes a considerable expense to each player for the reason that when the sole breaks the shoe is no longer fit for service; and an object of this invention is to make provision whereby the likelihood of such breaking is minimized.

I have discovered that by making a V- shaped anti-skid device having calk blades at the terminals and at the junction of the limbs of such device, the tendency to clog is greatly reduced as compared with such tendency with respect to the forms of baseball shoe spikes heretofore known to me, and that the breaking and cracking heretofore com mon in baseball shoes is greatly reduced.

In carrying out my invention I prefer to use a form of calk or spike blade corresponding to the calks or spike blades heretofore in general use on such shoes, and to dispose the ca-lks or blades on the heel and sole in approximately the same positions as they have heretofore occupied on the heels and soles of such shoes and I have found by considerable practice that by the use of the V -shapedattachment the breaking of the soles is practically done away with; the forming of balls is 'less likely to occur and such balls are more easily dislodged.

Cheapness, simplicity and lightness are other objects. 4 v

In carrying out this invention I construct the spike with limbs fixed at one end to a common foot and having separated terminals and respectively curved away from each other and provided at their separated terminals with inwardly extending feet that project toward each other from the inside edges of such terminals and having the calk blades projecting from the outer terminal edges of such feet; and the common foot and terminal feet are adapted to be fastened to either, or both, the heel and sole of the shoe.

A broadly new, basic and pioneer feature of my invention is a spike attachment for athletic shoes, constructed as an integral unit of metal adapted for connection with the sole of a shoe and comprising aplurality of calk bearing, plate-like, feet certain of which are physically separated to minimize cutting and breaking of the shoe sole.

An advantage incident to the use of a spike attachment constructed in accordance with my invention is that due to the peculiar connections between the several calk bearing plate-like feet, the shoe sole may flex to conform with the foot, particularly in a line transversely of the anterior metatarsal arch; whereby there is minimum resistance to the action of the foot.

Another advantage is in the construction of a metallic spike attachment having feet for connection with the sole of the shoe, at relatively spaced points transversely of the shoe sole, so that the sole may flex longitudinally over a minimum margin of spike attachment and thereby materially reduce the tendency of sole breaking or cutting.

Other'objects, advantages and features of invention may appear from the accompanying drawing, the subjoined detailed description and the appended claims.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the bottom of a baseball players shoe to which the improved spikes are applied.

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan of one of the spikes detached.

Fig. 3 is an edge view of such spike detached, looking upward fromthebottom. of

Fig. 2.

My newly invented baseball players shoe spike 4 comprises three cal-k holding feet 1 2 and 3 adapted to be affixed to the sole or the heel of a baseball players shoe and provided with calk blades 4, 5 and 6, and two divergent limbs 7 and .8 connected to the central calk. holding. foot L and formed. at. their ends to constitute the terminal calk holding feet 2- and 3 said-terminal feet being: spaced apart andfree from eachotherexcept through saidlimbs and-t the. central foot...

The feet are centrally perforated with.

holes- 9 through which the rivets 10 are in sorted in the. usual manner of fastening the? calk, holding frames. heretofore employed, to.

the heel and sole of professional. players.

baseball shoes.

I. have found that bvthe novel' V-shaped,

construction of the holder the difficultyarising fromflCCLlIIlHlZItlOIlSO-f mud and dirt. on,

theheel and sole ofthe shoe is greatly reduced, and that the player. can more readily jar such accumulations from the shoe by striking the sole or heel-with a baseball bat, or by striking the foot upon the ground,

heretofore been possible so far as I amv at.

present aware.

The spikes are constructed of the usual hard forged steel and the feet are preferably eccentric to the ends of the limbs so that the attachment as a whole may be: secured to relatively narrow tread surfaces such as the heels of sho es.

Said feet 2' and 3are' also:preferably rounded at their inner edges as shown, so as to avoid sharp corners-that might cut into the shoe.

I claim I 1-. A- spike attachment for shoes, constructed. as-a unit of. metal" and comprising three perforated. feet having, plane faces for-bearing against the tread member of a shoe; calkblades formed as marginal extensionsfrom the feet respectively, and a relatively slender" connecting; limb extending from one of the feet to each of the remaining feet, whereby to provide. comfort to the wearer and to minimize breaking of the sole over: the spike attachment between said remaining feet.

2. A spike attachment for shoesconstruct ed. as. a unit of hard steel and comprising a pair. of slender limbs, fixed atone end to a common foot and respectively extended away from each other andv provided at their separated ends with inwardly' extending feet that project. toward each other from the inside edges of the separated limbs, and a blade like calk projecting at substantiallyaright angle from the outside edge. of each foot, each. of said feet being perforated for its connection with atread member of a shoe.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, @ali'fornia, this 25th day of January, 1927.

RAYMOND E. FRENGH. 

